8 Die in shootout in Honduras

At least eight people died, including two minors, and seven were wounded in a massacre staged by gangmembers in this capital, after which authorities on Sunday offered a reward of 25,000 lempiras ($1,180) for information about those involved in the crime, officials said.

Apparently, seven armed gangmembers entered a bar in Tegucigalpa's Las Torres neighborhood Saturday night and, without saying a word, opened fire on the people in the establishment, National Police criminal investigation unit chief Leandro Osorio said.

The motive for the attack was said to be the "rivalry" between the Mara 18, or M-18, and the Mara Salvatrucha, or M-S, the country's two most notorious gangs, Osorio told Radio America.

The police chief did not say whether the dead and/or wounded are members of one of the two gangs.

Four of the victims died at the scene, three while being transported to the capital's Escuela Hospital and one early Sunday while receiving medical attention, officials said.

The wounded, including the female owner of the bar, identified as Estela Caballero, are being treated at Escuela Hospital, officials said.

"We have offered a reward of 25,000 lempiras for information about these gangs who committed this regrettable deed," Osorio said.

There are 15 murders each day in Honduras, on average, authorities say, and they attribute a large portion of them to the violence the country is experiencing due to drug trafficking and gang activities. EFE